Park Rangers Used This Discovery At Badlands National Park As A Stern Etiquette Reminder

National parks and other outdoor recreational areas managed by the National Park Service (NPS) in the United States do not just harbor unforgettable scenery, vital wildlife, and historic landmarks — they can also be amazing places for camping. However, these hundreds of NPS destinations are designated as such to preserve their landscapes. This means that visitors must take extra care when visiting them, especially if they're planning on camping at one.

Park rangers are integral to the operations of all NPS locations. You'll find different types of rangers working with the NPS, but all of them are dedicated to the safety of each living thing found in the park. This is why park rangers at Badlands National Park were disheartened to find an abandoned backcountry campsite within park limits. Upon further inspection of the site, rangers found food, sleeping bags, and trash with no potential owners in sight. 

"Leaving debris behind like this is negligent and is also illegal," park staff explained on social media (via National Parks Traveler). "Had rangers not been made aware and launched a cleanup effort, this abandoned campsite would have negatively impacted the wildlife in many ways."

Aside from harming wildlife, an abandoned campsite raises safety concerns for humans, too. Did these campers get lost somewhere deep in the Badlands wilderness? Park staff launched a search, but they were unable to find anyone — let alone find find out why the campsite was abandoned in the first place. While national park rangers are trained to deal with frustrating or harrowing situations like rescue missions, mysterious instances like the abandoned campsite in the Badlands are particularly difficult. 

That said, visitors can always play their part to make rangers' jobs a lot easier. For instance, to prevent park rangers from worrying about the fate of "missing" campers who leave abandoned campsites behind, the most obvious thing to do is clean up after yourself. However, let's say that these Badlands backcountry campers ran into issues, needed help, and were, somehow, unable to find it. This is precisely why wild camping excursions aren't the right fit for everyone. After all, these types of trips require campers to take extra precautions before setting off — from carrying a first aid kit to learning basic survival skills. Other essential steps include things like obtaining a backcountry camping permit and making a backcountry reservation through Recreation.gov.

In addition to this, it's important to remember that park rangers are always there to help in case of emergencies. That said, they will always need prior information about your approximate location to provide assistance, so notifying them of your plans and expected return time is always a great idea.